Title 17
SECTION 232.201
232.201 Temporary hardship exemption.
§ 232.201 Temporary hardship exemption.(a) If an electronic filer experiences unanticipated technical difficulties preventing the timely preparation and submission of an electronic filing, other than a Form 3 (§ 249.103 of this chapter), a Form 4 (§ 249.104 of this chapter), a Form 5 (§ 249.105 of this chapter), a Form ID (§§ 239.63, 249.446, 269.7 and 274.402 of this chapter), a Form TA-1 (§ 249.100 of this chapter), a Form TA-2 (§ 249.102 of this chapter), a Form TA-W (§ 249.101 of this chapter), a Form D (§ 239.500 of this chapter), an application for an order under any section of the Investment Company Act (15 U.S.C. 80a-1 et seq.), an Interactive Data File (§ 232.11), or an Asset Data File (as defined in § 232.11), the electronic filer may file the subject filing, under cover of Form TH (§§ 239.65, 249.447, 269.10 and 274.404 of this chapter), in paper format no later than one business day after the date on which the filing was to be made.
(1) An electronic imaged copy of the paper format document shall be the official filing for purposes of the federal securities laws.
(2) The following legend shall be set forth in capital letters on the cover page of the paper format document:
IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 201 OF REGULATION S-T, THIS (specify document) IS BEING FILED IN PAPER PURSUANT TO A TEMPORARY HARDSHIP EXEMPTION(3) Signatures to the paper format document may be in typed form rather than manual format. See Rule 302 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.302). All other requirements relating to paper format filings shall be satisfied.
(4) If the exemption pertains to a document filed pursuant to section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78m and 78o(d)) or section 30 of the Investment Company Act and the paper format document is filed in the manner specified in paragraph (a) of this section, the filing shall be deemed to have been filed by its required due date.
Notes to paragraph (a):1. Where a temporary hardship exemption relates to an exhibit only, the filer must file the paper format exhibit and a Form TH (§§ 239.65, 249.447, 269.10, and 274.404 of this chapter) under cover of Form SE (§§ 239.64, 249.444, 269.8, and 274.403 of this chapter).
2. Filers unable to submit a report within a prescribed time period because of electronic difficulties shall comply with the provisions of this section and shall not use Form 12b-25 (§ 249.322 of this chapter) as a notification of late filing.
(b) An electronic format copy of the filed paper format document shall be submitted to the Commission within six business days of filing the paper format document. Failure to submit the confirming electronic copy of a paper filing made in reliance on the temporary hardship exemption, as required in this paragraph (b), will result in ineligibility to use Form SF-3 (see § 239.45 of this chapter). The electronic format version shall contain the following statement in capital letters at the top of the first page of the document:
THIS DOCUMENT IS A COPY OF THE (specify document) FILED ON (date) PURSUANT TO A RULE 201 TEMPORARY HARDSHIP EXEMPTION Note 1 to paragraph (b):As provided elsewhere in this chapter, failure to submit the confirming electronic copy of a paper filing made in reliance on the temporary hardship exemption, as required in paragraph (b) of this section, will result in ineligibility to use Forms S-3, S-8, and F-3 (see §§ 239.13, 239.16b, and 239.33 of this chapter, respectively), restrict incorporation by reference into an electronic filing of the document submitted in paper (see § 232.303), and toll certain time periods associated with tender offers (see §§ 240.13e-4(f)(13) and 240.14e-1(e) of this chapter).
Note 2 to paragraph (b):If the exemption relates to an exhibit only, the requirement to submit a confirming electronic copy shall be satisfied by refiling the exhibit in electronic format in an amendment to the filing to which it relates. The confirming copy tag should not be used. The amendment should note that the purpose of the amendment is to add an electronic copy of an exhibit previously filed in paper pursuant to a temporary hardship exemption.
(c) If an electronic filer experiences unanticipated technical difficulties preventing the timely preparation and submission of an Interactive Data File (§ 232.11) as required pursuant to § 232.405, the electronic filer still can timely satisfy the requirement to submit the Interactive Data File in the following manner:
(1) Substitute for the Interactive Data File exhibit a document that sets forth the following legend:
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEMPORARY HARDSHIP EXEMPTION PROVIDED BY RULE 201 OF REGULATION S-T, THE DATE BY WHICH THE INTERACTIVE DATA FILE IS REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED HAS BEEN EXTENDED BY SIX BUSINESS DAYS; and(2) Submit the required Interactive Data File no later than six business days after the Interactive Data File originally was required to be submitted.
Note 1 to paragraph (c):As provided elsewhere in this chapter, electronic filers unable to submit the Interactive Data File under the circumstances specified by paragraph (c) of this section, must comply with the provisions of this section and cannot use Form 12b-25 (§ 249.322 of this chapter) as a notification of late filing. As also provided elsewhere in this chapter, failure to submit the Interactive Data File as required by the end of the six-business-day period specified by paragraph (c) of this section will result in ineligibility to use Forms S-3, S-8, and F-3 (§§ 239.13, 239.16b, and 239.33 of this chapter, respectively), constitute a failure to have filed all required reports for purposes of the current public information requirements of § 230.144(c)(1) of this chapter, and, pursuant to § 230.485(c)(3) of this chapter, suspend the ability to file post-effective amendments under § 230.485(b) of this chapter.
(d) If an electronic filer experiences unanticipated technical difficulties preventing the timely preparation and submission of an Asset Data File (as defined in § 232.11) and any asset related document pursuant to Items 601(b)(102) and 601(b)(103) (§§ 229.601(b)(102) and 229.601(b)(103) of this chapter) the electronic filer still can timely satisfy the requirement to submit the Asset Data File or any asset related document in the following manner by:
(1) Posting on a Web site the Asset Data File and any asset related documents unrestricted as to access and free of charge;
(2) Substituting for the Asset Data File and any asset related documents in the required Form ABS-EE (§ 249.1401 of this chapter), a statement specifying the Web site address and that sets forth the following legend; and
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEMPORARY HARDSHIP EXEMPTION PROVIDED BY RULE 201 OF REGULATION S-T, THE DATE BY WHICH THE ASSET DATA FILE IS REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED HAS BEEN EXTENDED BY SIX BUSINESS DAYS.
(3) Submitting the required Asset Data File and asset related documents no later than six business days after the Asset Data File originally was required to be submitted.
[58 FR 14670, Mar. 18, 1993, as amended at 62 FR 36457, July 8, 1997; 68 FR 25799, May 13, 2003; 69 FR 22710, Apr. 26, 2004; 70 FR 43569, July 27, 2005; 71 FR 74708, Dec. 12, 2006; 73 FR 10616, Feb. 27, 2008; 73 FR 65525, Nov. 4, 2008; 74 FR 6813, Feb. 10, 2009; 74 FR 15667, Apr. 7, 2009; 76 FR 71876, Nov. 21, 2011; 79 FR 57332, Sept. 24, 2014; 80 FR 6652, Feb. 6, 2015; 83 FR 40874, Aug. 16, 2018]